A knife amnesty will take place in Nottinghamshire next week to reduce the risk of weapons falling into the wrong hands.

The amnesty - which comes following a number of fatal stabbings in the UK - is part of a national anti-knife crime initiative called Operation Sceptre.

Bins will be placed at police stations across the county between next Monday and Sunday.

It follows the success of an amnesty in September last year which led to 418 bladed weapons - including Samurai swords and hunting knives - being handed in for destruction in just seven days.

This was 50 per cent more weapons in half the amount of time as the previous amnesty in 2013 - and showed the community's desire to help tackle knife crime.

Chief Superintendent Rob Griffin, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: "We are really grateful for the support of the community during the last amnesty in September. To take 418 knives out of circulation - many of them incredibly dangerous weapons - shows that the public is just as keen as we are to get them off the streets.

"Tackling knife crime takes a team effort and, with the help of the community and partner agencies such as Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, the Bridges Community Trust, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, Nottingham City Council and the borough and district councils across Nottinghamshire, we can all ensure Nottinghamshire remains a safe place to live, work and visit."

Chief Supt Griffin added: "We and our partners will do everything we can to reduce knife crime and this seven-day knife amnesty is yet another method of preventing knives from falling into the wrong hands.

"We want the process of handing them in to be as simple as possible so there will be no paperwork to fill in. People can simply drop them in the bins and leave, and we will collect them all up at the end of the week and destroy them."

People are asked to check the opening times at their local amnesty points before they visit. The participating stations and partner agency locations are as follows: